The USHJA Foundation is pleased to award two talented young USHJA members travel grants to attend the West Coast College Preparatory Invitational. Samantha Bledsoe, 18, of St. Charles, IL, and Morgan Londo, 18, of Palatine, IL, were awarded $1,000 travel grants to attend the event, which will be held March 11-13, 2016, at the LA Equestrian Center’s ‘Equidome’ in Burbank, CA.

“We are very excited to extend these travel grants to riders going to the West Coast College Preparatory Invitational,” said Jennifer Burger, president of the USHJA Foundation. “We believe it’s important to support youth in this sport who excel in their riding as well as their academics.”

Grant recipients were required to meet one of two academic requirements, either hold a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale or be in the top 20 percent of their class, and each had to be accepted to the CPI. Earlier this year, similar grants were awarded to Chloe Bellerive, 17, of Keddysville, MD; Alexa Donsbach, 16, of Schererville, IN; Elizabeth Gilbert, Austin, TX; Tanner Pfeffer, 16, of Pataskala, OH; and Chace Simmons, 17, of Fredericksburg, VA, to attend the 2016 East Coast College Preparatory Invitational.

The CPI is a three-day event designed to educate student riders about the different formats of college equestrian competitions and provide riders with resources to help them create their desired college equestrian experience. Riders in grades 9 through 12 have a chance to win scholarships in hunt seat equitation competition and participate in educational presentations throughout the event. In an effort to encourage academic excellence and embed social integrity as a lifelong commitment to the equestrian sport, the CPI Scholarship and Educational Fund also awards riders the opportunity to win scholarships for academics and community service.

“We are so grateful to the USHJA Foundation for their ongoing partnership with CPI and their generous support of our student riders,” said CPI President Lindsay Martin. “The travel grants allow riders that might not have otherwise considered the CPI an opportunity to attend, and for this we are truly appreciative to the USHJA Foundation.”

To learn more about the CPI, visit www.collegeprepinvitational.com. For more information about the USHJA Foundation, visit www.ushjafoundation.org.

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